Texas Four-Day Week Districts: Sub Plans and Ready Lessons for Grades 1–5
Texas Four-Day Week Districts: Sub Plans and Ready Lessons for Grades 1–5
On a Texas four-day calendar, a teacher's absence costs a longer day, so the sub plan has to carry more hours. The Elementary Sub Plans & Emergency Lessons Bundle gives Grades 1–5 teachers 50 no-prep substitute lessons, daily ELA task cards and morning work, math warm-ups and an escape room, ready to leave in a folder before you need it.
Build my sub folderFor Grades 1–5 in a Texas district on a four-day week, the Elementary Sub Plans & Emergency Lessons Bundle ($69.99) is a ready sub folder: 50 no-prep substitute lessons, daily ELA task cards, literacy centers and morning work, Grade 3 and Grade 4 math warm-ups, math warm-up activities for Grades 1–4, and a soccer escape room. It fills long sub days and gaps in coverage. It is not written for the TEKS, so check grade-level fit yourself.
The resources
Elementary Sub Plans & Emergency Lessons Bundle, Grades 1–5
6 resources in one download: $69.99 instead of $112.94 bought separately.
Start with the first resource; the others are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
Elementary Sub Plans & Emergency Lessons Bundle | 50 No-Prep Lessons, Daily ELA, Math Warm-Ups & Escape Room | Grades 1–5
Grades 1–6 Literacy Skills Curriculum | Grammar, Writing, Phonics & Reading Packs for Every Grade
Elementary History Curriculum | All 20 History Units | Grades 1–4
Elementary Math Practice & Warm-Up Bundle | 7 Practice Packs + Warm-Up Bundle | Grades 1–4
The real problem
Longer days, fewer subs and a changing staffing picture
Texas law sets the school year in minutes, not days: districts must operate at least 75,600 minutes a year, counting instruction plus intermissions and recess. That is what makes four-day calendars possible, and districts such as Liberty Hill ISD have used them, with a hybrid calendar that put four-day weeks into several months of 2025–26. Fewer days means each one is longer. When a teacher is out, the substitute faces a full long day, and a sub plan written for a short five-day schedule runs out by early afternoon. Staffing adds pressure. Texas districts had relied on uncertified teachers to fill vacancies, and HB 2 (2025) bars uncertified teachers from K–5 reading and math starting in 2026–27 and from all core subjects starting in 2027–28; districts may apply to TEA for a waiver to delay it. How that plays out is a matter for each district, but it is one more reason for every elementary teacher to keep coverage material ready. The practical problem for a classroom teacher is simple: you need material a stranger can pick up at 7:45 and teach until dismissal, with clear instructions and answers, without you writing it at midnight the evening you get sick.
Why it fits
What goes in your Texas sub folder
The six resources cover the parts of a long elementary day a substitute most often has to fill.
- Fifty no-prep substitute lessons give a sub enough material for a full long day and the next one.
- Daily ELA task cards and morning work cover the first minutes after the bell without explanation.
- Grade 3 and Grade 4 math warm-up worksheets keep math practice going while the regular teacher is out.
- Math warm-up activities for Grades 1–4 support younger classes and mixed groups covered by one sub.
- The soccer escape room fills the last stretch of a long day with a team challenge.
- No-prep design means the folder can sit ready on your desk for weeks until it is needed.
Getting started
How to build an emergency folder in one afternoon
These steps are suggestions. Your campus may already have a sub folder template; slot these resources into it.
- Print a full long day's worthPick morning work, one or two substitute lessons, a math warm-up and an afternoon activity that together fill your longest day. Print class sets and label them by time of day.
- Add a second day behind itAn absence can stretch to two days. Prepare a second set from different lessons, so the sub never has to search for material on day two and your class keeps a familiar routine.
- Write a one-page cover sheetNote your bell schedule, routines, student needs and where the folder lives. The lessons are ready, but the sub still needs to know your room.
- Keep the escape room for the afternoonSuggest the soccer escape room as the last block of the day, when students are tired and a team task holds attention better than another worksheet.
- Refresh the folder each grading periodSwap used lessons for new ones from the bundle every few weeks. The folder stays current and you are not caught out by a sudden absence late in the year.
What to buy
Sub bundle first, then what?
Start with the Elementary Sub Plans & Emergency Lessons Bundle ($69.99, parts bought separately $112.94) if your priority is being covered on days you are out. If you also want grade-level literacy practice for long days, the Grades 1–6 Literacy Skills Curriculum ($49.99, parts $95.76) adds grammar, writing, phonics and reading packs for each grade. The Elementary Math Practice & Warm-Up Bundle ($34.99, parts $50.92) adds seven practice packs for Grades 1–4. For a planned social studies strand, the Elementary History Curriculum ($169.99, parts $499.80) holds all 20 Grades 1–4 history units with lesson plans a sub can follow.
Honest limits
Before you rely on it
This bundle is not written for Texas and contains no TEKS codes or Texas-specific content. Check the lessons against the TEKS and your campus expectations before they go in the folder. It does not replace a long-term sub plan for a vacancy, and it has nothing to do with certification or staffing rules. You supply printing, your cover sheet and class routines. The licence covers your own classroom; for a grade-level team or campus-wide sub folders, send Teach Lessons a short message first. If it is not a fit, exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value. There is no cash refund.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Are these sub plans aligned to the TEKS?
No. The bundle is not aligned to, endorsed by or approved for the TEKS, and it has no Texas-specific content. It offers general elementary sub lessons, ELA practice and math warm-ups for Grades 1–5. Look through what you print for your folder and check it against your grade's TEKS and your campus scope and sequence.
Is there enough for a full four-day-week school day?
With 50 substitute lessons, daily ELA work, math warm-ups and an escape room, you can build a folder for a long day and a second one behind it. How long each lesson runs depends on your class, so assemble the folder with your actual bell schedule in front of you.
Does this help with HB 2 certification requirements?
No. HB 2 is about who may teach K–5 reading and math and later all core subjects, and how districts apply for waivers. These are teaching materials and have no bearing on certification. For questions about HB 2 and your district, ask your district office or TEA.
Can a sub with no planning time use it?
The resources are no-prep, so a substitute can teach from them once you have printed the sets and left a short cover sheet. The math warm-ups and ELA task cards need almost no explanation, which helps when a sub arrives just before the bell and has never seen your room or your students.
How do I receive the files?
As a digital download right after purchase. A link comes by email, and the files stay in your customer account under Orders. Print what you need for the folder now and keep the rest for refreshing it later in the year. Nothing ships, so you can have the folder ready by the next school day.
Can our campus build sub folders for every classroom from one purchase?
The standard licence covers your own teaching. For campus-wide sub folders or a grade-level team, send Teach Lessons a short message before buying and explain how many classrooms you have in mind. The files may not be posted publicly, resold or passed on to other campuses in the district.
Have the folder ready before the phone call
Open the bundle page to see the six resources and what each one covers.
Build my sub folder